Mercer freeholders send open-space tax increase to voters

Bond ordinance introduced that would provide funding for reverse notification phone system.

By: Jennifer Potash
   Mercer County residents will have the opportunity to consider a 1-cent increase in the county open-space tax come Election Day.
   The Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders on Thursday approved by a unanimous vote a resolution proposed by Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes to increase the open space tax to 3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
   Also, the freeholders unanimously introduced a $30 million bond ordinance for capital improvements that contains funding for a reverse notification phone system.
   Mr. Hughes said the additional penny of open space tax could lead to the purchase of at least 2,000 acres in the county. Mr. Hughes said the proposal limits the spending for parkland development and historic preservation to not more than 15 percent of the funds derived from the tax increase.
   At a time when municipalities are facing steep tax hikes — Princeton Borough Council approved a 12-cent increase in July — a voluntary tax hike might be hard sell. But Mr. Hughes said residents recognized the value of preserving land from development.
   "In the past year, indeed in the past six months, escalating land costs in Mercer County have made it more difficult for us to meet our preservation goals," he said. "An additional penny at this time will strike the right balance between preserving land costs and controlling property taxes, both now and in the future."
   Mercer County voters approved a 1-cent open-space tax in 1989 and the county began collecting it in 1991. An additional penny was approved by the voters in 1998.
   The county has preserved about 13,000 acres of open space with county funds over the past 13 years. If approved by voters in November, the additional penny is expected to generate an extra $3.1 million each year.
   Prior to the vote, Elizabeth Muoio, chairwoman of the freeholder board, said the open space question has the board’s strong support.
   "I don’t know of any problems with it," she said.
   The freeholders discussed the resolution Wednesday.
   The only question on which the board sought clarification from the county administration was if the increase combined with the existing open space funds would be enough to cover some of the planned acquisitions, Ms. Muoio said.
   "We don’t want to completely drain our resources," she said.
   A proposal to focus spending on additional parks and other open space in urban portions of the county drew support from the freeholders, she said.
   All the board members, as well as Mr. Hughes, are Democrats.
   The $30 million bond ordinance contains $200,000 for a countywide reverse notification system that would allow officials to contact residents during an emergency.
   The 13 municipalities in Mercer County will have the opportunity to join the system, Ms. Muoio said.
   The system could be used to notify residents of an oil spill or to help locate a missing child, she said.
   Also, the system contains a service from which out-of-town relatives of an elderly Mercer County resident would receive an automatic message if the senior citizen failed to reply to a once-a-day automatic message, she said.
   "The capabilities are quite amazing," she said.
   Princeton Township purchased a reverse notification system several years ago.
   Princeton Borough previously considered a reverse notification system, but with other budget pressures looming put the item on hold.
   The Princeton Regional Health Commission has recommended the council either adopt its own system or join with Princeton Township.